Volume 1
Chapter 5 Part
2
The Muddy
Stream of Hatred, Resistance is One's Determination 2
Translator : PolterGlast
It was less than 2
hours before the arrival of the announced Hyakki Yagyo that Akira and his men
hurriedly made preparations, rushed into their assigned position, and completed
their interception arrangements.
"......It's so
quiet."
The boy who had taken
over Kansuke's place as vice leader, muttered to himself as he stood next to
Akira.
Perhaps it was because
the residents had locked themselves inside their houses in anticipation of
Hyakki Yagyo.
Normally, this would
be the time when one could feel the excitement of people in the hustle and
bustle of life, but all Akira and the others could see was an eerie stillness
and darkness.
"......Yeah. But
don't let your guard down. The southern sky has turned red. Things are going to
get noisy soon."
Akira warned the boy
when he saw that the sky on the other side, where the sun should have set long
ago, was filled with a glow that was darker brown than red.
It was not a fire or
something.
It was a glow of a
dense miasma so bright that it could be discerned even from this far away.
This fact made him
realize that his shoulders were getting too tense.
"―Eh? You
are......."
As Akira forcibly
shook his body to relieve some of the tension in his body, a voice called out
to him from behind him.
When he turned his
head to look behind him, he saw the duo of Rindo Saki, who had a friendly smile
on her face, and Kuga Ryota, who looked grumpy and unhappy, approaching him.
"I knew it.
You're the one from the mountain hunt, correct?"
"Yes.
Rindo-ojousama, thank you for your help the other day."
As Ryota's gaze grew increasingly
stern, Akira stopped his greeting with a slight nod.
However, not paying
attention to the mood that Ryota was giving off, Saki stared at Akira as if
scrutinizing his face.
"..................
Umm, ojou-sama?"
The tone of Akira's
voice was laced with impatience at Saki's behavior, which would normally be
described as disrespectful.
...... Or rather,
Ryota's gaze has become so fierce that Akira wants her to stop it as soon as
possible.
"...... Hey, did
something happen?"
However, ignoring her
surroundings' bewilderment, Saki asked such a question dubiously.
Akira tilted his head
wondering what she was talking about, but her earnest gaze gave no indication
that she was joking, and he straightened his posture to answer.
"...... No,
nothing in particular. If I had to name one thing, maybe it's because I became
a Shrine Parishioner."
"Hmm. I don't
mean it that way, it's just that somehow your atmosphere has changed. ......
but, I see, you've become a shrine parishioner. Congratulations."
"Thank you. ―I
think it's all thanks to you, ojou-sama."
Although he himself
didn't know to what extent she actually helped him, it was true that Saki's
words gave him a big encouragement.
He bowed his head,
honestly expressing his gratitude.
"Un, I'm glad to
hear that. ―By the way, what's your name?"
"My name is
Akira, nice to meet you."
He had introduced
himself once before, but well, this is just typical treatment for the leader of
a trainee squad.
So, without feeling
any particular resentment, Akira introduced himself.
"Akira-kun, huh?
....... Un, I'll remember it. Pleased to meet you."
"Yes, I'm looking
forward to working with you."
After saying so, Akira
bowed to the two as they left toward their own positions.
The miasma has become
an invisible pressure and begins to waft toward them.
"―Kuga-kun. How
many mid-range spirit techniques can you use?"
Saki opened her mouth
to Ryota as the time for the battle to begin was drawing near.
This is the thing that
Saki is concerned about just before going into battle.
Saki and Ryota were
positioned on a main street in a residential area built along the riverbank.
The surrounding area
is lined with cedar plank walls, which is a common way to separate residential
buildings.
Although the walls
along the riverside were plastered with fire-resistant materials, the fire
would spread quickly if a fire broke out on these plank walls.
It would have been a
mortal blunder to use a fire-type spirit technique in a place like this, and it
would normally be a punishable offense.
However, since Saki
and Ryota have no other effective means of attack, the options available to
them are considerably reduced.
After all, Saki's
spirit belongs to the fire element, and all of the offensive talismans provided
to her were fire-based.
Well, that was to be
expected.
The great deity that
reigns in southern Shumon Province is a divine pillar that presides over fire.
Those who live there
are strongly drawn to its nature, and their spells and spirit techniques tend
to be compatible with the attribute of fire.
Especially the Kihoin
style practiced by the guardians of Shumon Province is specifically designed to
demonstrate its full potential through fire-oriented spirit techniques.
While it excels in
instantaneous output, it lacks sustained power, and since most of the
techniques are designed for one-on-one attacks, there are only a few mid-range
or long-range attacks, and the degree of difficulty in mastering these
techniques is correspondingly high.
In fact, Saki has only
mastered four ranged attacks, including some that are difficult to use.
"I have five
ranged attacks that I can use, and I can only use them depending on the
situation."
He only has one attack
more than Saki, which is probably the result of his personality and his tactics
centered on one-on-one preying on bigger targets.
"I have four, but
two of them are useless because I can't control their attack range. ―Kuga-kun,
since it is less likely for you to cause a fire, you can use them except for the
flashy ones, alright?"
"What? Are you
concerned it might cause a fire in the surrounding area? They are just a bunch
of commoners with no power to resist, so don't bother worrying about
them."
"Don't do
anything foolish. What are we going to do if we get caught in a fire in the
middle of a city like this? It won't be easy to extinguish a fire in the midst
of Hyakki Yagyo, won't it? Besides, if the fire were to spread, it would impede
our vision as well."
".............Tch."
As if to evade Saki's
piercing gaze, Ryota folded his arms and looked away.
"Then again, your
uncle sure is lucky. He got assigned near the riverbed. That way, he could hunt
the defiled beasts as much as he wanted."
"Haven't you been
briefed on this many times already? My uncle is there to make sure that the
Hyakki Yagyo doesn't overflow the river with excessive amounts of defiled
beasts. Besides, it would be a disaster if we provoked the apparition, the core
of the Hyakki Yagyo, and caused it to turn its attention toward us."
"I dunno about
that."
Ryota's grumpy reply
made Saki's sense of crisis grow endless.
It's no good. His
attitude clearly showed that he was not satisfied with the situation at all.
"...... Hey,
don't ignore the orders and act like a hero, you hear me? You understand that
it is not a situation that can be handled by you rushing forward on your own,
right?"
"Isn't that mean
we will be no different from those who are packed in upstream? There's no way I
am willing to be like those 1st battalion guys."
"The 1st
battalion is packed with guardians. Moreover, right now, the head of the Rindo
family is also stationed there. It's unthinkable that they couldn't defeat the
apparition after setting up such a large force."
As expected, he had
not given up on the idea of hunting the apparition.
Ryota's true feelings
must have spilled out unintentionally, to which Saki responded with a rebuttal
tinged with sarcasm.
"The head of the
Rindo family, huh? I hear rumors that he is a coward and an opportunist
though."
Ryota's somewhat
mocking tone was likely because he believed what the rumors said.
Although Saki already
knew that such rumors were going around, when she heard it coming out of
Ryota's mouth, it made her feel a little hurt inside.
"My father is
certainly a cautious man, but he is also a very competent one. Besides, having
my father here means that we have a divine artifact, that has been handed down
in the Rindo family, with us. If he could unleash its divine domain, he could
scorch an entire Hyakki Yagyo in a straight line upstream with a single
blow."
Perhaps he felt that
he had spoiled Saki's mood.
He didn't try to argue
any further, but only shrugged his shoulders as he lost his momentum.
Besides, Saki's point
is correct.
The divine artifacts
given as proof of the heads of influential families of the nobility are
considered to be superiors to spirit artifacts, whereas in reality, they are
the crystallization of the divine will woven and forged by the Divine Pillars
themselves.
Especially, the
various effects that are manifested by releasing the sealed divine will are
called "divine domain" and they have the amazing ability to
temporarily reproduce the divine will in the body of a mere mortal.
The power of divine
artifacts of the eight families that stand at the top of the nobility can only
be described as a wonder.
"Speaking of
Rindo's divine artifact, I believe its name is......."
"[Yashiori-no-Nabegane]. I've never seen
it firsthand either, but I did see it once from a distance. It could obliterate
a fairly large horde of defiled beasts with a single blow, though not as big as
the Hyakki Yagyo. Although its use is limited, it should not be a problem in
this situation."
".................."
Ryota snorted once and
fell silent.
Having diminished
Ryota's words, Saki turned forward with a sense of satisfaction.
A brief silence flowed
between them.
"...................Hey."
But the silence did
not last long, and Ryota broke it by opening his mouth.
"Hm?"
"......D-do you prefer
a guy like him?"
"Pardon?"
Saki, unable to keep
up with the sudden change of subject, tilted her head in a nonchalant voice.
When she looked at
Ryota with a confused expression and wondered what he was saying, Ryota pointed
at Akira, who was standing 5-ken away, with a tilt of his chin.
"Akira-kun? Why?
"You seemed to
get along well with him. Have you known each other before?"
"The day before
yesterday was the first time we met, though? To begin with, I have never
visited Karen that often. I've only been here once as an escort for my father. ―Why
are you asking me this, anyway?"
Saki has been educated
as a daughter of a noble and warrior family.
Naturally, she knew as
a matter of basic knowledge that upper-class girls do not have the freedom of
romance.
However, despite this,
she is still a teenager.
Talking about other
people's love life is the number one topic of conversation at the academy, and
Saki herself has talked about this topic with her friends many times.
―But,
"I-I just want to
give you a piece of advice for your own good, you better stop it. He is a
commoner and an outcast. And you are a descendant of one of the eight families,
don't do anything that will damage the family's reputation."
"What are you
talking about, Kuga-kun? Akira-kun looked a little different from when I saw
him yesterday, so I was just a little concerned about him. How should I say it,
his atmosphere, I guess. It wasn't actually that bad the day before yesterday,
but today he seemed much more approachable."
For Saki, talking
about romance was something she would do with someone of the same gender.
Even though they came
from the same background, they were of the opposite sex and, moreover, it was
not a topic of conversation that she would discuss with someone she had not the
slightest interest in.
"The atmosphere?
What are you talking about? He didn't seem to have changed at all."
"It should be
like that, but......"
Saki tilted her head
and searched for the right words, but in the end, she could not find any
suitable expressions, and the words just kept dancing in her mouth.
Perhaps gaining
momentum from Saki's reaction, Ryota was about to open his mouth in an attempt
to take a further step ......
―Then, the darkness in front of him glared at him.
"Saki."
"―Un, they're
coming."
Saki, too, changed
from the somewhat distracted expression she had earlier and looked sharply into
the same darkness.
As if to confirm, she
glanced at the captain of the squad that was accompanying her.
He nodded silently and
checked his yin-yang meter, knowing exactly what she wanted him to do.
"...... Miasma
concentration is rising rapidly."
"All personnel,
listen up. We will now commence the battle. Prepare your offensive talismans.
Fire on my signal. Shield bearers, while preparing the next shot, prop down
your shields and cover yourself behind them. Protectors, fire a ranged attack
spiritual technique while supporting them."
"""Yes,
ma'am!"""
"...... Even if
we prop down our shield, they can still jump over it, right?"
"That's fine. At
least it will slow them down."
Saki opened her mouth,
without looking at the squad leader who had asked her this question while
putting away his yin-yang meter.
"Think of the
horde as waves of miasma. They are definitely on a different dimension from the
hordes of defiled beasts we usually encounter. The moment you try to fight them
head-on, you'll be blown away and turned into minced meat on the
roadside."
"Then, even if we
hide behind the shields, won't they just trample us down?"
"If you resist
them head-on, you will die for sure. At least, by hiding behind the shields,
we'll survive if we're lucky."
―Which one do you think is better?
Being asked such a
question with her gaze, the squad leader averted his eyes and covered himself behind
the shield.
Which do you think is
better, life or death? He did not have the words to defend himself against such
a question.
The other party's
reaction was almost predictable, so Saki, who had no time to pursue the matter
further, turned her attention to Ryota, who was standing next to her.
"Kuga-kun, please
use a spirit technique that will cause a blinding effect after we shot our
talismans. I believe you've mastered it, right?"
"Yeah."
"I will then send
a rushing attack to the center of the horde. I'll use my front-extending
spiritual technique so that I can strike the defiled beasts with my second
strike as they try to disperse."
"―Understood."
He seemed to be
dissatisfied, perhaps because he did not like being told what to do by Saki,
whom he regarded as someone lower than him.
However, Kuga Ryota
has a strong tendency to be self-centered, and it was clear from his past
behavior that he was not the right person to lead a group.
Since the blame for
Ryota's behavior would be directed at Saki, who was teaming up with him, Saki
would have to keep Ryota's behavior in check.
"Shield bearers,
fire the next shot through the gap of the shields immediately on my
signal."
"Without proper
aim, our shots will lose their power."
"If it goes well,
it will frighten the beasts. That's good enough."
Greedy attempts to
score achievements will only increase their mortality rate. That's why, in
order to limit their selfish actions, she gave a lot of instructions without
giving them a chance to think of anything else.
"After that, it's
just a matter of repeating it, are we clear?"
"""Yes,
ma'am!!!"""
The clear instructions
given were answered by the squad members, who responded to Saki with a resounding
reply.
The squad leader was
deprived of his position, but even so, he showed no resistance in accepting the
words of someone who, although an apprentice, is still a guardian of the higher
rank.
Saki glanced around.
She could see that
Akira and his men, who were standing some distance away, were preparing to hide
behind their shields, perhaps giving the same instructions.
At that moment, the
wind blowing from the front carried a distinctive putrid smell.
The wind itself
smelled rotten and corrupt.
It was a smell of
dense miasma that could not be compared to that of the previous mountain hunt.
―And then, there was the ground-shaking presence of
hordes of defiled beasts marching toward them.
"―All hands, get
ready!"
The troops nervously
hold up their talismans in front of their eyes.
Saki herself boosted
her spiritual power and poured it into the naginata, her spirit vessel.
The familiar light of
her own spirit light tinted her vision a pale violet color, resisting the
miasma.
And then, she waits.
―The figures of the defiled beasts were still beyond
the darkness.
Wait.
―But the unconcealable tremor of the earth informs her
of the intensity of the defiled beasts' rampage.
Wait.
―Beyond the darkness, separated by a thin layer of
veil, is a murky stream of madness and malice.
Wait.
"―............Haa."
As someone exhaled at
the height of the tension, an avalanche of even more dense miasma raged in from
beyond the reddish-black darkness.
At a quick glance, it
was a horde of defiled beasts composed of frenzied dogs and deer.
But there was no time
to ponder on it.
―The speed of the Hyakki Yagyo was faster than
expected.
"―Fireee~!!!"
The fire-type
offensive talismans were unleashed in response to Saki's voice, and they turned
into a firestorm, scattering sparks of fire as they rushed toward the Hyakki
Yagyo.
―O~o~oonn~!!
The defiled dogs were
wrapped in flames and cried out in anguish.
Their cries were
short-lived, as the fire quickly turned them into charcoal.
They were merely
lesser-type defiled beasts, but even so, it was still impressive to be able to
burn them down as a whole pack.
"Kuga-kun!!"
Saki, seeing that the
wall of flesh in the form of dogs had been reduced to charcoal, signaled so to
Ryota.
The defiled deer,
which could not be exterminated with talismans alone, stepped over the charred
remains of the defiled dogs and rushed toward them.
Ryota took a large
step forward, not caring about the overwhelming pressure of the onrushing
hordes.
His slightly
larger-than-average physique was enveloped by a peculiar light of spiritual
power that was imbued with the radiance of Kihada.
Whenever the light
flashed, a purple radiance, as if expressing his fierce emotions, flashed
through his surroundings.
Regardless of his
personality, Ryota's reputation as a child prodigy is not a mere fluke.
Among the five
elements of the attributes of spirits, the earth element is the rarest and most
powerful.
This is because he
possesses a spirit of the earth element in his body.
Spirits that hold
earth element are, almost without exception, powerful spirits.
Especially when it
comes to high-ranking spirits that can be possessed by the eight families, it
can be said with certainty that they possess unparalleled abilities.
Ryota held his katana,
his own spirit vessel, high in the air.
A yellowish light
enveloped the silver blade of the raised katana, and a thunderbolt of immense
intensity shot across its surface in layers.
Tsukinomiya-style
Spirit Technique, Middle Transmission―
"―Jinchu
Akirei!!"
Starting from the
katana blade that was swung down, purple lightning crawled across the ground in
a fan-like pattern.
The defiled deer
jumped into the lightning net that was laid out.
The number of deer
caught in the net was no less than twenty.
Spears of lightning
skewered all of them, thrust upward from under the deer's feet.
―Kyo, kyo, kyo~~!!
However, their speed
did not seem to be affected just by stopping 20 of them, and the defiled deer
that followed behind them was about to walk through the side of the skewered
deer and close in on Ryota.
―However, he was waiting for it.
Ryota's lips twisted
with delight.
Tsukinomiya-style
Spirit Technique, Linked Move―
"―Naruko
Watashi!!!"
―Zap!!!
A moment later, a new
surge of purple electricity rushed through the space between the lightning
spears that were protruding, scorching all the deer that tried to slip through
the sides.
The heat generated by
the lightning split the atmosphere, creating an inescapable shockwave that
overwhelmed the street.
The wooden walls
protecting the houses were unable to withstand the pressure, and the entire
foundation, even if only a portion of it, flew through the air.
―That brute~~!
Just after I
had warned him not to cause unnecessary damage, this happened!
Shouldn't he
have another technique that has a minimum impact!?
Saki gritted her teeth
inwardly, but still, in order to maintain her duty, she stepped further in
front of Ryota.
Whatever the process,
she had managed to take down most of the smaller ones, including the dogs and
the deer, which were just fast.
The boars, which were
slightly slower than the dogs, were still putting on the pressure to close in
on Ryota.
Although the boars'
speed is slow, it has greater pressure than those of the dogs and deer.
However, without
thinking twice about it, she readied her naginata and accelerated from her
forward-leaning posture at maximum speed in a single breath.
―Gi~i~i~~!?
With her physical
strength strengthened by Aragamioroshi, she instantly closed the gap and thrust
the naginata into a boar's nose, which was running at the front of the horde,
and without even giving the boar time to react, she unleashed a spirit
technique,
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, First Transmission―
"―Mozunuki!!!"
The tip of the
naginata's blade was dyed vermillion, and a spiral of flame pierced the boar,
sending a ray of fire through the boar and into the distance of about 3-Ken.
She stabbed about five
boars to death, and as if that wasn't enough, she took another step forward,
pouring her spiritual power into the naginata.
Kihoin-style
Spirit Technique, Linked Move―
"―Sazanami
Tanzaku!!"
Instantly, the flame
extends horizontally, creating a blade of flame.
―Gi~i~i~a~a~!!?
The defiled beasts,
screamed in agony as they died while being burnt. She escaped from the hordes
at once and returned behind the protective fence built by the shield team.
The spirit techniques
used by the protectors and Ryota struck the still-raging horde of defiled
beasts as if to keep them at bay.
―The battle is
going better than expected.
Saki joined in the
fray, knocking down the avalanche of defiled beasts, while thinking so in the
corner of her mind.
Although the quantity
was an order of magnitude different, the quality was not so much different from
those defiled beasts during the mountain hunt.
Even though one could
see that they were being enhanced by the thick miasma, the upper limit of
enhancement was probably too great to keep up with the sheer number of them.
―If this is the
case, we can hold this place down.
Just when she had a
little bit of hope, a roar and a tremor similar to an earthquake shook the
street.
"Wha!?"
What
happened!? Unable to voice such words out, Saki turned her gaze in the direction
of the roar and saw a large number of debris that used to be a house flying
through the air, and this time, she was speechless.
Along with the pieces
of debris, an enormous cloud of dust rose up, and beyond it, she could see a
figure with reddish-copper skin and tough muscles that were enlivened by the
debris.
A huge physique that
could be seen even across a few houses away.
If she were to
describe it in broad terms, it would be closest to a human figure, and although
it was the first time she had ever encountered it, it was one of the most
famous monsters she had ever seen.
"A giant
ogre!!"
―Gua~a~a~!!"
While shouting a
fierce howl from the gaps between its disorderly teeth, which were too messy to
fit in its mouth, the great demon stepped out toward Tatehami River.
――――――――
TIPS: About Divine
Artifacts.
A general term for
spirit vessels given by beings who have attained divinity.
It is often regarded
as the same as a spirit vessel, but although it is called a vessel, it is not
strictly speaking a physical object, but is essentially a spiritual one.
Its true nature is
that it is a manifestation of an essence governed by a Deity in the form of
words and divine energy. It is not an exaggeration to say that it could be
called a tiny divine realm.
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